Orion returns to Earth, capping Artemis I flight around moon
NASA's Orion capsule barreled through Earth's atmosphere and splashed down in the Pacific ocean on Sunday after making an uncrewed voyage around the moon, winding up the inaugural mission of the US agency's new Artemis lunar program 50 years to the day after Apollo's final moon landing. The gumdrop-shaped Orion capsule, carrying a simulated crew of three mannequins wired with sensors, plunked down in the ocean at 9:40 a.m. PST (1740 GMT) off Mexico's Baja California peninsula, demonstrating a high-stakes homecoming before NASA flies its first crew of Artemis astronauts around the moon in the next few years. "This was a challenging mission, and this is what mission success looks like," NASA's Artemis I mission manager Mike Sarafin told reporters after splashdown, adding that his team didn't immediately notice any issues with Orion's return from space. A US Military helicopter and a group of fast boats approached the capsule after...